FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 December 1926, Page 24

FARM AND DAIRY.

THE “ONLY COW. ’ STATEMENT BY STOCK MANAGER. COMBATTED BY FRIESIAN ASSOCIATION. Tlie following is a copy of the letter which lias been forwarded to the Hon. O. J. Hawken, Minister for Agriculture, by the New Zealand Friesian Association:— “I am directed by the council of the New Zealand Friesian Association to draw your attention to statements made by the manager of the Ruakura Government Farm of Instruction which recently appeared in the New’ Zealand Herald. An extract reads as follows:—‘The experience of Ruakura has shown that when fed under exactly similar conditions on rich Waikato dairying country, the proved Jersey is the only cow the dairyman can afford to keep if he hopes to win success.’

“I am informed by the secretary of the New Zealand Milking Shorthorn Association that, in a letter from the manager of the Ruakura Farm to the Hon. Minister of Agriculture, the following statement occurs: ‘lt is my opinion that, under similar conditions in good pasture, or for that matter in any part of the North Island, Jerseys are capable of producing a higher' average of butterfat than any other breed. This opinion is by no means restricted to a season’s experience of the Ruakura herd, but is based principally on my close contact with different breeds of cattle for a period of 20 years in the largest North Island dairying district.’ ‘‘My council has instructed me to protest most emphatically against the manager’s action in publishing as opinion that (a) is not based upon any reliable investigational or experimental work carried out at Ruakura Farm regarding the yields of milk and butterfat of the various dairy breeds. Such work could not be carried out at Ruakura, as there are no purebred Friesians on that farm. I understand that the semi-official certificates of record issued in connection with daily cattle on the Ruakura Farm do not show that the Jerseys have been the highest producers on tiiat farm, (b) Is not borne out by Government semi-official certificates of record issued in connection with the various dairy breeds of the North Island. “These records show that the Friesian dairy breed holds all the New Zealand records for all ages for all breeds for production of milk and butter-fat. “It would be very interesting if you will get the manager of the Ruakura Farm to compare the yields according to semi-official certificates of record made by the Jerseys on Ruakura Farm with the semi-official certificates of record made by the Friesians at Weraroa Government Farm. I enclose a list of some of the C.O.R. gained by Friesians at Weraroa. “My council wishes to stress the point that an officer of the Department of Agriculture occupying such a responsible position as manager of the Ruakura Government Farm of Instruction should not publish information based purely on his own personal opinion or observations, but should publish only the results of thorough and scientific investigational W'ork carried out under the most careful conditions. Then he would not make the very serious errors that he has made in publishing the statements referred to in the early part of this letter —statements based upon incomplete and misleading information, and calculated to rouse grave doubts in the minds of the public as to the reliability of reports made by officers of the Department of Agriculture.’’

CLYDESDALE HORSE SOCIETY. A meeting of the council of the Clydesdale Horse Society of the Dominion of New Zealand was held in Auckland on Tuesday, November IG. There were present: Mr. W. G. Park (president), Messrs. J. W. Harding, R. D. Knight, James Knight and Alex. Hunter. The president referred to the loss the society had sustained in the removal by death of Messrs. E. E. Jenkins and J. C. N. Grigg, and moved a vote of condolence to the relatives. —Carried. Imports.—lt was reported that import certificates had been received for the following four stallions and three mares: Desire, on behalf of Mr. Andrew Grant, Faillie; Cowden Pearl, Messrs. Wright, Stephenson and Co., Ltd.; Prince Fergus, Mr. Ben Ferguson, Rangiora; Brunstane Duplicate, Yett Alonette, Lady Lawson, and Craigie Baroness, Mr. John Young, Ochtertyre. Exports.—Export certificates had been issued to Messrs. Mitchell and O’Brien for fifteen stallions and colts as follows: Bonnie Mark, Brilliant Bold, Bold Success, Brilliant Day, Brilliant Morn, Windermere Sensation, Admiral Fyvie, Alexander Fabric, Ashton Stamp, Burnside Baron, Ebony Stamp, Granvalier Stamp. Kenwyn Baron, Lord Huntley, and Waikaura. Resignations.—The following resignations were accepted: Messrs. L. C. Graythorne, Ataahua; L. Old, Inglewood; Thos. Struthers, Hawera; Borstal Institute, Invercargill; W. H. Gray, Stratford; Murray, Roberts and Co., Feilding; John Bruce, Morven; Chas. N. Paterson, Middlemarch; J. T. Dixon, Maokauiti. New Members.—Forty-one new members were elected as follows: Messrs. J. G. Berry, Te Kuiti; T. Duck, Orini; John Imlah, Kaupokonui; H. Jones junr., Inglewood; John McKenzie, Masterton; T. G. Martin, Te Awamutu; L. Sampson, Cambridge; A. W. Scott, Ohaupo; H. E. Sowersby, Hastings; W. V. Walker, Te Awamutu; J. J. Williamson junr., Feilding; Allison Bros., Clarksville; Ashworth Bros., Sefton; Frank Brown, Waihao Downs; E. J. Chatterton, Dunsandel; H. E. Clarke, Menzie’s Ferry; Trustees W. B. Cunningham Estate; Miss A. B. Cunningham, Brookside; Messrs. W. Devan, Timaru; G. Donaldson, Higlicliffe; R. J. Edgar, Seadown; W. L. Gray, Papakaio; J. W. Isbister, Momona; Alex. Leask, Fairlie; D. C. McArthur, Yaldliurst; D. A. C. MeVinnie, Courtenay; M. Martin, Kakanui; R. Peach, Rangiora; T. H. Peach, Mosgiel; N. E. Richards, Rakaia; Small Bros., Ashburton; John Small, Ashburton; 11. Thomson, Otokia; Thos. Thomson, Maungatua; and Jos. J. Wayllie, Omihi. Stallions’ Bill. —It was resolved to write to the Minister of Agriculture asking him to use every endeavour to have the Stallions Bill put on the Statutes next session.